Chuck for supporting and retaining a test substrate and a calibration substrate

ABSTRACT

A chuck for supporting and retaining a test substrate includes a device for supporting and retaining a calibration substrate. The chuck comprises a first support surface for supporting a test substrate and a second support surface, which is laterally offset to the first support surface, for supporting a calibration substrate. The calibration substrate has planar calibration standards for calibration of a measuring unit of a prober, and dielectric material or air situated below the calibration substrate at least in the area of the calibration standard. In order to be able to take the actual thermal conditions on the test substrate and in particular also on known and unknown calibration standards and thus the thermal influence on the electrical behavior of the calibration standard used into consideration, the second support surface is equipped for temperature control of the calibration substrate.

RELATED APPLICATIONS

The present application is a continuation patent application that claimspriority under 35 U.S.C. §120 to U.S. patent application Ser. No.12/489,913, now U.S. Pat. No. 7,999,563, entitled “Chuck for Supportingand Retaining a Test Substrate and a Calibration Substrate,” which wasfiled on Jun. 23, 2009, and which claims priority from German PatentApplication Serial No. 10 2008 029 646.5-35, which was filed on Jun. 24,2008. The complete disclosures of the above-identified patentapplications are hereby incorporated by reference herein.

TECHNICAL BACKGROUND

The invention relates in general to probers, which are used to ascertainelectrical properties of electronic components, referred to hereafter astest substrates in general. The invention particularly relates to achuck which is used to support and retain a test substrate and, inaddition, a calibration substrate. The chuck comprises a first supportsurface for supporting a test substrate and a second support surface,which is laterally offset to the first support surface, for supporting acalibration substrate, dielectric material or air being situated belowthe calibration substrate at least in the area of the calibrationstandard, and the calibration substrate having planar calibrationstandards for calibrating a measuring unit of the prober.

PRIOR ART

Chucks are special retaining devices suitable for supporting andretaining test substrates and calibration substrates, which comprise oneor more level support surfaces for the direct support or the indirectsupport, which is implemented by retaining means, of the various citedsubstrates. A chuck may also comprise a positioning unit, which is usedto move the support surface, in addition to further components. It ispart of a checking station, a so-called prober, which is used forchecking and testing the electronic components.

In addition, a prober has probe tips, which are retained by a probemount and to which the support surface and thus a substrate situatedthereon may be fed in order to produce an electrical contact between asubstrate and the probe tips, it possibly being necessary in the courseof a measuring sequence to change between contacting test substrate andcontacting calibration substrate. Furthermore, a prober comprises amonitoring unit for controlling the measuring sequence, for monitoringand regulating the measuring conditions, for storing ascertained orneeded data in a databank, and/or further tasks. Becausetemperature-dependent measurements may also be performed in a greatertemperature range, temperature-control devices are frequentlyintegrated, which are used to heat or cool the test substrate. Proberstypically also have a shielding housing for setting a measuringatmosphere which deviates from the surroundings and/or for delimitingparasitic electromagnetic influences.

To measure a test or calibration substrate, suitable measuring points onthe substrate are contacted using probe tips, electrical signals aresupplied and/or tapped, and the physical properties, in particular theelectrical properties, of the contacted components are ascertained usingthese or further signals, such as optical or mechanical signals.

In this way, greatly varying electronic components are checked andcharacterized, also optical or micromechanical components or othercomponents which are provided in various production stages. Thus, both aplurality of components, which are provided still in the wafer compositeor also isolated, and are partially or completely finished, aresubjected in the probers to various checks and tests under variousenvironmental and measuring conditions. In general, these various checkor test objects are referred to as a device under test or also as a testsubstrate, the latter being differentiated from the carrier substrate,on which a component may be situated.

Very different requirements are placed on the checking devices dependingon the electronic component to be measured and in particular dependingon the frequency range relevant for the component, i.e., thehigh-frequency or low-frequency range.

In the high-frequency (HF) range, whose lower limit is continuouslyshifting toward higher frequencies with the development of electroniccomponents and which is currently at frequencies from approximately 6GHz, the checking device comprises a vectorial network analyzer (VNA) asa measuring unit. Vectorial network analyzers are used for the precisemeasurements of various electronic parts and components and active andpassive high-frequency circuits and high-frequency assemblies up toantennas.

In the network analyzers, the scattering parameters (also called Sparameters) of the test substrates are ascertained, which are thetypical form of description of the electronic behavior of electronicparts and components in the high-frequency range. This form ofdescription does not link currents and voltages to one another, butrather wave frequencies, which are particularly adapted to the physicalconditions. A so-called system error correction ensures that precisemeasurements of the scattering parameters of the parts and componentsmay be performed at all using vectorial network analyzers. This systemerror correction presumes a precise calibration measurement ofstandards, whose electronic behavior is known or is determinable in thescope of the system error correction.

In the LF range, in which signals down to the range of 3 GHz, currentlyat most 6 GHz, are used with increasing scaling of the components and aspower consumption becomes less, measuring methods are used which arebased on measurements of capacitances, voltages, and inductions in thisfrequency range. Thus, to characterize electronic components, forexample, their current-voltage characteristic curve is ascertained usingpulse I/V measurement or capacitance-voltage characteristic curve (CVmeasurements) to determine charge carrier profiles.

In these measurements, significantly lower-power measuring signals areused than for the measurements which were typical a few years ago,because even a low power may result in destruction of the component orin unusable measured values. Thus, pulsed resistance and pulsed I/Vmeasurements are performed using pulses of only 50 μs, even with lowcurrents, because short pulses mean that less power is absorbed by theelectronic component. The ascertainment of the low-frequency noisebehavior (low-frequency noise—LFN), e.g., using 1/f measurement, is alsoused for characterizing the components and is performed with extremelysmall measuring signals in the above-mentioned frequency band. Variousdevices known for the particular measurement may be used here as themeasuring unit of a prober.

Thus, to measure calibration standards and test substrates, for example,so-called source monitor units (SMUs), also referred to as sourcemeasurement units, may be used, which may be programmable. An SMU is aprecise power supply unit, which ensures voltage supply and measurementat a resolution of 1 mV or less and current supply and measurement at aresolution of 1 μA or less. It may also be combined with a vectorialnetwork analyzer in a prober. Thus, in a checking configuration whichhas a vectorial network analyzer, a running precise resistancemeasurement is possible using a supplementary SMU, and calibrations andmeasurements of test substrates may be performed over the entirefrequency range and the temperature range of interest using a prober, ifthe HF and LF calibration standards are provided jointly on the chuck.

The type of the usable calibration standard is a function in particularof the measuring method. For example, for CV measurements, impedanceshaving various terminations, a wave termination of 50 Ω, or similar to ashort circuit or idle are used. In addition, a low-loss capacitor isused. The latter may be formed by a long coplanar waveguide, forexample, or have more complex structures, such as two opposing combstructures, in order to achieve a higher precision in the setcapacitance of the calibration standard.

Various resistors are needed as calibration standards for the INmeasurements. For the calibration for LFN measurements, calibrationstandards such as the impedances described above for the CV measurementor standards or thin-film resistors known from the ascertainment of thescattering parameters of electronic components are frequently used.

On the one hand, the measuring environment, such as the substrate onwhich a calibration standard and a component are implemented, the designof the components, the specific materials used of the metallizations onthe wafer, and other factors have a significant influence on thecalibration method. For the calibration of measuring units of probers,in particular for measurements in the wafer composite, the so-calledon-wafer measurements, calibration standards have proven to be expedientwhich are implemented in planar, e.g., coplanar line technology on acalibration substrate.

Both a separate carrier substrate, which may comprise various materials,and also a wafer having electronic components on which one or morecalibration standards are implemented, are to be understood as acalibration substrate hereafter.

In general, various designs of the configuration of ground and signallines are described as planar lines. One design of planar lines is thecoplanar lines. The ground and signal lines are in the plane therein. Incontrast, in so-called micro-strip or mixed configurations, the groundand signal lines lie one above another in two planes, which areelectrically insulated from one another.

The electronic properties of the calibration standards are favorablyknown, in order to be able to perform the calibration of the measuringconfiguration. Otherwise, the unknown standards must be ascertained bycomputer, which requires significantly greater measuring and computingeffort and is only possible under defined constellations of variousknown and unknown standards. The known or ascertained electricalproperties of the calibration standard are linked, however, to theparticular measuring environment, in particular to the temperature atwhich the measurement was performed, and to the substrate, on which thestandard is implemented. Changes in the measuring environment causechanges of the electrical properties to an unknown extent.

In order to reduce the influence of the typically metal support plate ofthe chuck on the calibration standard, which is no longer negligible athigher frequencies in the gigahertz range in particular, a spacing isset between the calibration substrate and the support plate in DE 196 39515 A1, which is filled with air or another dielectric fluid. It is tobe ensured by the dielectric intermediate layer that with the coplanarcalibration standards which are typically used in HF technology, a pureand well calculable coplanar line type is implemented. This is becauseexperiments have shown that at higher frequencies along the coplanarlines of the calibration standard, as a result of a metal support plate,the field distribution changes from that of a coplanar line type to thefield distribution of a micro-strip line. This effect, which is known asthe quasi-micro-strip mode, causes a change of the electrical propertiesof the calibration standard and thus errors in the system errorcorrection of the network analyzer. However, it has been shown thatusing a nonmetal support plate for the calibration substrate orinterposing a special absorber, which reduces the quasi-micro-stripmode, also does not reduce the loss over the line of a calibrationstandard to the required extent.

On the other hand, it is frequently necessary for the characterizationof the test substrates to set the climatic conditions, which aresometimes also extreme, under which the components are later used. Forthis purpose, in differently designed checking stations, the electroniccomponents are set to a measuring temperature, which deviates from roomtemperature, by thermal contact with a temperature-controllable chuck(DE 10 2005 015 334 A1) or by a temperature-controlled fluid flow (DE 102006 038 457 A1, DE 10 2006 015 365 A1), which is directed onto thecomponent.

In order to be able to perform a calibration, current calibrationmeasurements are performed using calibration standards which areexclusively measured at room temperature, in order to ensure theprecision of the calibration measurements. For this purpose, it isnecessary to thermally decouple the calibration standards from thecomponent, which is to be measured in direct chronological and spatialrelationship (J. E. Pence, R. Anholt “Calibration and measurementconsiderations for deriving accurate temperature dependent equivalentcircuits” ARFTG Microwave Measurements Conference-Spring, 41st, 1993,pp. 85-92). Calibration standards whose electrical behavior is known maythus be used, but a consideration of the actual thermal conditions onthe test substrate is not possible.

In addition, thermal decoupling of the test substrate and thecalibration substrate may not be ensured, inter alia, because of thesequential contacting by the same probe tips. Thus, each probe tip,which is initially in mechanical contact and thus also thermal contactwith a hot test substrate at 200° C., for example, and then contacts acalibration standard, acts as a heat transmitter between the twosubstrates.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

It is proposed, contrary to the methods up to this point, that the testsubstrate and the calibration substrate be thermally linked to oneanother using the chuck described hereafter, so that the thermalinfluence of the measuring conditions under which the test substrate ismeasured on the electrical behavior of known and unknown calibrationstandards is taken into consideration. This is performed both forseparate calibration substrates and also for calibration standards whichare implemented on the same electrical system on which the components tobe measured are also provided.

The setting of the temperature of the calibration substrate using thesupport surface which supports the calibration substrate to a definedtemperature allows the climatic conditions of test substrate andcalibration substrate to be adapted to one another and the changes ofthe electrical properties of the calibration standard linked theretothus to be incorporated into the calibration method. As a result of theequalization of the thermal conditions of test substrate and calibrationsubstrate, influencing by the probe tips is also to be avoided, whichwould act as a heat carrier between component and calibration standardto a non-negligible extent in the known, thermally decoupled method.

As a result of the temperature control, i.e., heating or cooling of thecalibration substrate to a defined temperature, typically that of thetest substrate, via the support surface, the changes of the measuringsystem which accompany a temperature change and which increase at higherfrequencies, in particular also the electrical and magnetic propertiesof the dielectric calibration substrates, are taken into consideration.This is because these properties have a direct influence on theelectrical length of a calibration standard implemented thereon.

The setting of the temperature of the support surface for thecalibration substrate may be performed in various ways. Tracking of thetemperature via thermal coupling of two separate support plates whichform the two support surfaces using heat conductors is possible, as isthe implementation of first and second support surfaces in a shared,one-piece support plate. The design of the chuck which is used is afunction, for example, of the temperature control device of the firstsupport surface, which supports the test substrate, and the temperaturerange of the measurement. The heat conduction properties of the materialof the first support plate forming the first support surface, which arein turn a function of the electrical and magnetic properties to be setin a relevant frequency range, are also to be taken into considerationfor the design of the thermal coupling.

Thus, the use of heat conductors allows the use of different materialsfor both support plates which form the support surfaces, connectorsbetween the two support plates having heat conduction properties for therelevant temperature range, such that an equalization of the temperatureis producible within a specific time, being understood as heatconductors. In this case, in addition to the materials used, the massconditions of both support plates are also again to be taken intoconsideration. In general, it is necessary for the first support plate,which supports the test substrate, to be thermally stable, i.e., thetemperature change in the course of a measuring sequence to be less thanor equal to 0.5%, for example. A second support plate which isrelatively large in comparison to the first support plate would becontrary to this requirement or long waiting times would be necessaryuntil setting of the thermal equilibrium.

Because, in addition to carbon, metals are good heat conductors, adesign having metal support plates or connectors is oriented inparticular to applications having those frequencies at which theinfluence of the metal support plates or support plates containing metalparts on the electrical behavior is slight. Alternatively, a morespecial, e.g., multilayered construction of the support plate is alsopossible, in connection with a measuring regime which allows the settingof the desired thermal equilibrium between the two plates.

In a further alternative design, separate devices for setting thetemperature of both support surfaces are integrated. In this design, theheat conduction loses significance, so that other materials whichconduct heat less well may also be used, for example, if the one or twosupport plates are permeated by a heating or cooling agent. Usingseparate devices for heating or cooling the support plates, separatetemperature regimes of the two support plates may additionally befollowed, for which regulators adapted to one another may be used.

Because of the very precisely settable thermal and dielectricproperties, ceramic materials may be used for the various describeddesigns and either for the shared support plate or the first and/or thesecond support plate.

Furthermore, the thermal coupling includes the feature that thosedesigns may be used for one or both support plates in which a recess issituated at least below the calibration substrate. This recess may befilled using a dielectric material, e.g., also a ceramic or anothersuitable material, or may remain empty and form an air chamber below theparticular substrate. In both cases, a minimization of the influence ofthe support plate on the calibration and possibly also the measurementof the test substrate is achieved. A comparable effect is reached by asecond support plate, which is situated in a recess of the first supportplate, the second support plate also being able to fill up the recesscompletely or only delimit it on top here. The latter embodiment may beused, for example, if the stability of the calibration substrate is tobe improved by the second support plate.

If an air chamber remains in one or possibly in two recesses, it may bepermeated by a suitable cooling or heating fluid for the temperaturecontrol of the calibration substrate and/or the test substrate. Thesupport plates may be adapted to various applications in regard to theelectrical and thermal requirements using the selection of the materialof a liquid or gaseous fluid and also using the design of the airchamber having fluid inflow and fluid outflow and thus using thepermeation of the air chamber. Thus, in various designs a flow may occuralong or in the direction of the back side of a substrate or a flowdirected toward the calibration substrate may be avoided, e.g., in thatthe fluid inflow and outflow occur at a distance from and withoutdirectional component toward the calibration substrate or in that theair chamber is closed using a thin dielectric material.

In one design of the invention, the calibration substrate is retainedusing suitable retention means above the air chamber, which is opentoward the calibration substrate, so that the fluid presses directlyagainst the calibration substrate.

Using a fluid flowing through the air chamber, both with an air chamberclosed toward the substrate and also with an open air chamber, themeasuring temperature of the substrate and thus of the calibrationstandard and of the electronic component is settable reproducibly andvery rapidly, because the heat exchange is to be defined and regulatedvery well via the selection of the fluid, via its flow temperature,i.e., the difference between the temperature of the fluid and thetemperature of the component to be set, and via the rapidly controllableparameters of flow velocity and action time. On the other hand, it ispossible to implement a good heat exchange between the fluid and thecalibration substrate through a defined flow direction and velocity. Therequired setting time is also to be reduced, because essentially onlythe calibration substrate is temperature controlled.

In addition to the measuring task, which may also provide active coolingduring measurement, for example, the selection of the fluid is afunction of the component, the supply and tapping of the signals, andthe further measuring environment. Thus, in many applications air isused because of its simple handling. However, liquid is also usable ifthe electrical contacts are spatially separate from the fluid flow. Theliquid has the advantage that it has a higher heat capacity, wherebysmaller fluid quantities are required for the same temperaturedifferential.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

The invention is to be explained in greater detail hereafter on thebasis of exemplary embodiments. In the figures of the associateddrawings:

FIG. 1 shows a schematic and enlarged illustration of the part of achuck which supports a calibration substrate, having an air chamber,which is permeated by a gaseous fluid, under the calibration substrate;

FIG. 2 shows a schematic and enlarged illustration of the second supportsurface of a chuck, which supports a calibration substrate and is formedby a separate support plate, which is in thermal contact with the firstsupport plate;

FIG. 3 shows a schematic and enlarged illustration of the part of achuck which supports a calibration substrate, having a first supportplate and a second support plate and a recess, which is filled bydielectric material, in the second support plate below the calibrationsubstrate;

FIG. 4 shows a schematic illustration of a chuck having two supportplates which close two air chambers in a main plate and form a firstsupport surface and a second support surface;

FIG. 5 shows a schematic illustration of a chuck having a shared supportplate, which forms a first support surface and a second support surfaceand has a recess filled with dielectric material; and

FIG. 6 shows a checking station having a chuck according to FIG. 1.

The embodiments shown in the drawings are to be an exemplary and in noway restrictive illustration of the invention. Insofar as correspondingstructural components are shown in the various figures, they areidentified using identical reference numerals.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The chuck according to FIG. 1 comprises a movement apparatus 1, usingwhich test substrate 10 and calibration substrate 8 may be moved jointlyrelative to probe tips (not shown) attached above the substrate, inorder to perform the contacting by the probe tips. A movement of thechuck occurs, as a function of the possible movements of the probe tips,at least in the X and Y directions, frequently also additionally in theZ direction, and around a vertical rotational axis, referred to asrotational movement φ. The movement apparatus 1 moves a base plate 2, onwhich a first support plate 4 and, adjacent thereto, a second supportplate 6 are situated. The upper terminus of the first support plate 4forms the first support surface 3 and the upper terminus of the secondsupport plate 6 forms the second support surface 5.

A test substrate 10 is retained on the first support surface 3 usingvacuum suction, for example. The second support plate 6 retains acalibration substrate 8 on the second support surface 5. Both supportplates 4, 6 comprise a metal material. Alternatively, they may alsocomprise a dielectric material, such as ceramic. They are implementedand situated on the base plate 2 so that the upper faces of the testsubstrate 10 and the calibration substrate 8 lie at the same height (Zdirection). The height equalization may be implemented, for example, viaheight-variable spacer parts 12 below the second support plate 6, whichsimultaneously allow replaceability of the second support plate 6.Alternatively or additionally, the first support plate 4 may also beheight-adjustable.

The second support plate 6 has a central recess 13, implemented as apassage in the exemplary embodiment shown, which forms an air chamber 14in the second support plate 6. The calibration substrate 8 is retainedusing a substrate mount 16 above the upper opening of the air chamber14, in that the substrate mount 16 encloses the calibration substrate 8on all sides and rests on the second support plate 6 in the edge area ofthe recess 13. The recess 13 is slightly larger in form and area thanthe calibration substrate 8, so that the recess 13 is closed on top bythe calibration substrate 8 and the substrate mount 16. The substratemount 16 may be used as an adapter, in order to adapt various sizes ofcalibration substrates 8 to the area of the recess 13 and may also bedesigned so that it does not completely close the air chamber 14 on top.In a comparable way, more than one calibration substrate may also besituated using one or more substrate mounts 15 above one or morerecesses 13 or a substrate mount 16 may be dispensed with entirely, ifthe calibration substrate 8 may rest directly on the edge area of therecess 13.

The second support plate 6 used in the illustrated exemplary embodimentensures, because of the air chamber 14 which extends over the entirearea below the calibration substrate 8, on the one hand, nearly idealconditions for implementing and calculating a coplanar line type andsimultaneously the capability of temperature control of the calibrationsubstrate 8 by flushing underneath over the entire area using a fluidset to a defined temperature. The fluid (illustrated by arrows) isconducted into the air chamber 14 through the intermediate space 18between the second support plate 6 and the base plate 2, washes aroundthe entire area of the bottom side of the calibration substrate 8 andescapes back into the surroundings through the intermediate space 18.Because of this design, which is open to the environment via theintermediate space 18, temperature-controlled air or another operatinggas is used as the fluid.

Alternatively, the air chamber 14 may be closed on the top and/or on thebottom and have one or more inflows and outflows for the fluid havingcorresponding supply and removal lines. In particular, the upperterminus ensures a good heat transfer from the fluid in the air chamber14 to the test substrate 8. To set a uniform temperature of calibrationand test substrate 8, 10, both support plates 4, 6 may also be permeatedby a temperature-controlled fluid in one design.

The calibration substrate 8 is adapted in material and thickness to thetest substrate 6, a silicon wafer in the exemplary embodiment.Calibration standards 9 are implemented in coplanar line technology onthe calibration substrate 8, on the one hand, calibration standards 9with transmission path (line standard) and, on the other hand, withouttransmission path (reflection standard). Alternatively, resistor and/orcapacitor structures may also be implemented, which are used forcalibration in the low-frequency range. The type, location, and numberof the particular calibration standards 9 are determined by thecalibration method used, as described above. A sufficiently largelateral spacing exists between a calibration standard 9 implemented onthe calibration substrate 8 and the second support plate 6 by thelocation of the calibration standard 9 on the calibration substrate 8and, in addition, by the retention by a substrate mount 16.

The chuck in FIG. 2 has the same fundamental construction made of baseplate 2 and two receptacle plates 4, 6 as that in FIG. 1, so thatreference is made to FIG. 1 in regard to the corresponding design. Itdiffers from that in FIG. 1 through a solid design of the second supportplate 6 without recess. Both support plates 4, 6 are each connected viaa large-area spacer part 12 to the base plate 2. The spacer parts 12simultaneously represent a thermal connection to the base plate 2, whichhas a suitable temperature-control device (not shown), in order to setboth support plates 4, 6 to a corresponding temperature by heatingand/or cooling. Both support plates 4, 6 comprise a ceramic, whosethermal conductivity and electrical conductivity are adapted by asuitable material composition in accordance with the temperature rangeof the measurement and the electromagnetic requirements of the measuringconfiguration.

A calibration substrate 8 having multiple coplanar calibration standards9, e.g., resistors and capacitors, is situated flatly on the secondreceptacle plate 6 and is also temperature-controlled via the surfacecontact, like the test substrate 10, which rests on the first supportplate 4.

FIG. 3 illustrates a further alternative design of the second receptacleplate 6 according to FIG. 1. In contrast to FIG. 1, in FIG. 3 the recess13 is filled with a dielectric material. In FIG. 3, the recess 13 andits inlay 15 extend over the entire thickness of the second supportplate 6. The recess 14 and/or the inlay 15 may also only occupy a partof the thickness of the second support plate 6 here.

In the upper area, which faces toward the calibration substrate 8, lines20 are embedded in the inlay 15, which are permeated by cooling orheating agent for the temperature control of the calibration substrate8. The calibration substrate rests flatly on the inlay 15 and is fixedby a substrate mount 16. Reference is made to the above statements inregard to the further designs, which correspond to the chuck accordingto FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 illustrates a chuck, whose first and second support surfaces 3, 5are formed by a shared support plate 7. This plate is movable using amovement apparatus 1, in order to execute the positioning of thesubstrates 8, 10 to probe tips (not shown) as described for FIG. 1.

In the shared support plate 7, recesses 13, which are both covered ontop by inlays 15, are introduced in the areas of a first support surface3 and a second support surface 5. The inlays 15 have a low thickness incomparison to the shared support plate 7 and lie in a groove, so thatthe recesses are completely closed. The thickness of the inlays 15 isselected as a function of the strength of their material so that theysecurely withstand the force which is exerted on the inlays 15 uponcontacting of the substrate by a plurality of probe tips (not shown).The test substrate 10 and the calibration substrate 8 are situated onthe inlays 15.

The two recesses 13 below the first and the second support surfaces 3, 5do not extend through the entire shared support plate 7, so thatcavities, also air chambers 14 again here, are formed. The air chambers14 are connected to one another by lines 22, so that atemperature-controlled fluid (shown by arrows) fed into one inflow 23permeates both air chambers 14, thus controls the temperature of its twosubstrates 8, 10, and exits again through an outflow 24. Alternatively,a partition of both air chambers 14 having separate fluid flow is alsopossible.

The chuck according to FIG. 5 also has a shared support plate 7, whichis movable using a movement apparatus 1. The shared support plate 7 hasa recess 13, which extends from the top of the shared support plate 7approximately into the middle of the plate thickness, for example, andis filled with a dielectric inlay 15. A heater 26 is situated on thebottom of the shared support plate 7 to set the temperature of theshared support plate 7 and thus of test and calibration substrates 10,8.

In the exemplary embodiment shown, the calibration standards (not shownin greater detail) are situated on the wafer, on which the electroniccomponents to be checked are also implemented, so that the wafer issimultaneously test and calibration substrates 10, 8.

The wafer rests on the inlay 15 over its entire area, which forms firstand second support surfaces 3, 5 in this design, the location of theparticular support surface being defined by the position of thecalibration standard and the electronic components on the wafer andbeing able to vary from case to case. In FIG. 5, first support surface 3and second support surface 5 are only shown for illustration and asexamples.

In the above-mentioned alternative designs of the first and/or secondsupport plates 4, 6, instead of the described possibilities, otherpossibilities or even possibilities which are not described forretaining the calibration substrates 8 may be used. The substrate mountis to be designed if possible so that comparable dielectric conditionsmay be produced below the calibration standard for all calibrationstandards used for a calibration method, and in particular the materialremains the same from standard to standard.

Checking a test substrate with calibration may be performed employingone of the previously described chucks in a checking station, whosefundamental construction is shown as an example in FIG. 6.

Such a checking station comprises a chuck, for example, one according toFIG. 1, which has a first support plate and a second support plate 4, 6,which are mounted on a base plate 2 and may support the test substrate10 and a calibration substrate. Reference is made to the description ofFIG. 1 on the concrete design of the chuck, identical structuralcomponents being identified using identical reference numerals.

The checking station also comprises probe tips 34, which are retained bya probe mount 28 above the support plates 4, 6 of the chuck. They areconnected using a cable 36, in the exemplary embodiment via an optionalsignal preprocessing unit 30, to a signal unit (not shown). The probetips are adapted to the particular measurement, in particular in theirdesign as HF or LF probe tips. They are connected to a measuring unit44, e.g., a network analyzer or an SMU.

In the exemplary embodiment, as the movement apparatus 1, the chuckcomprises, for example, a motorized or manually driven X-Y cross table,a Z lift, and a rotation device for rotating the chuck around arotational axis which is perpendicular to the support surface.Positioning of the substrates 8, 10 precisely below a configuration ofprobe tips 34 in the X-Y plane and the angular orientation of both toone another and thus a feed movement between the substrates 8, 10 andthe probe tips 34 in the Z direction until the establishment of thecontact are thus possible. Alternatively, at least the feed movement inthe Z direction or a fine orientation to one another may also beexecuted by a supplementary positioning device of the probe mount 28.

A housing 32, which encloses the chuck and the substrates 8, 10 and theprobe tips 34, made of an electrically conductive material, which is atground potential, implements thermal shielding in relation to theenvironment, to set and stabilize the set temperatures, and EMVshielding, if needed for the relevant measurement. In connection with aspecial design of the base plate or the first and/or second supportplates 4, 6 of the chuck, e.g., having a multilayered construction madeof alternating electrically conductive and dielectric layers and theconnection of targeted potentials to the conductive layers, a triaxialmeasuring construction may also be implemented, so that even extremelysmall signals or signal modulations are measurable. A technicallyequivalent triaxial construction is also applicable for the probe tips20 and their mounts.

For the temperature control of the support plates 4, 6 using a fluidflow, in the exemplary embodiment, a gas supply 40 is situated laterallyto the support plates in the exemplary embodiment, which is connected toa gas source, which provides the required gas mixture having the desiredtemperature. The gas flowing between the support plates 4, 6 and thebase plate 2 and through the air chambers in both plates (not shown) isthen received, conditioned, and provided again by a gas suction exhaust42. Various pressures are also settable using a gas-tight housing 32.

The contacting of the substrates 8, 10 and the measurement are to beobserved using a microscopic observation unit 38.

Chuck for supporting and retaining a test substrate and a calibrationsubstrate.

The invention claimed is:
 1. A chuck configured to support and retain atest substrate and a calibration substrate, the chuck comprising: afirst support surface configured to support the test substrate; a secondsupport surface configured to support the calibration substrate, whereinthe second support surface is laterally offset from the first supportsurface; and a temperature control device configured to control atemperature of the calibration substrate.
 2. The chuck of claim 1,wherein the chuck further includes a recess included in at least one ofthe first support surface and the second support surface, wherein therecess contains a dielectric material.
 3. The chuck of claim 2, whereinthe dielectric material includes at least one of a fluid, air, adielectric solid, and a ceramic.
 4. The chuck of claim 2, wherein therecess includes a dielectric inlay covering a chamber.
 5. The chuck ofclaim 2, wherein the recess is located beneath at least one of the testsubstrate and the calibration substrate.
 6. The chuck of claim 1,wherein the temperature control device is a first temperature controldevice, and further wherein the chuck also includes a second temperaturecontrol device configured to control a temperature of the testsubstrate.
 7. The chuck of claim 1, wherein the temperature controldevice is configured to control the temperature of the calibrationsubstrate and a temperature of the test substrate.
 8. The chuck of claim1, wherein the first support surface and the second support surface areformed by a shared support plate.
 9. The chuck of claim 1, wherein thefirst support surface is formed by a first support plate, wherein thesecond support surface is formed by a second support plate, and furtherwherein the first support plate and the second support plate areoperatively attached to a base plate.
 10. The chuck of claim 1, whereinthe first support plate is in thermal communication with the secondsupport plate.
 11. The chuck of claim 1, wherein the chuck furtherincludes a height-variable spacer configured to control an alignment ofa top surface of the test substrate relative to an alignment of a topsurface of the calibration substrate.
 12. The chuck of claim 1, whereinthe calibration substrate includes a planar calibration standard.
 13. Achecking station configured to test the operation of a test substrate,the checking station comprising: the chuck of claim 1; a probe tipconfigured to establish electrical communication between the checkingstation and the test substrate, wherein the test substrate includes anelectronic component; and a measuring unit configured to perform ameasurement on the electronic component.
 14. A method of measuring anelectrical property of a test substrate, the method comprising: placingthe test substrate on a first support surface that forms a portion of achuck; placing a calibration substrate on a second support surface,wherein the second support surface forms a portion of the chuck and islaterally offset from the first support surface; and controlling atemperature of the calibration substrate with a temperature controldevice.
 15. The method of claim 14, wherein at least one of the firstsupport surface and the second support surface includes a recess thatcontains a dielectric material, and further wherein the controllingincludes controlling a temperature of the dielectric material.
 16. Themethod of claim 15, wherein the dielectric material includes atemperature-controlled fluid, and further wherein the controllingincludes flowing the temperature-controlled fluid through the recess.17. The method of claim 14, wherein the method further includescontacting at least a portion of the test substrate with a probe tip,wherein the probe tip forms a portion of a checking station, and furtherwherein the method includes measuring the electrical property of thetest substrate with the probe tip.
 18. The method of claim 17, whereinthe method further includes calibrating at least one of the probe tipand the checking station, wherein the calibrating includes contacting aportion of the calibration substrate with the probe tip.
 19. The methodof claim 14, wherein the method further includes controlling thetemperature of the calibration substrate to a defined temperature. 20.The method of claim 19, wherein the method further includes controllinga temperature of the test substrate.
 21. The method of claim 14, whereinthe method further includes transferring thermal energy between thefirst support surface and the second support surface.
 22. The method ofclaim 14, wherein the method further includes controlling an alignmentof a top surface of the calibration substrate to be within a thresholddistance of a top surface of the test substrate.
 23. The method of claim14, wherein the method further includes controlling the temperature ofthe calibration substrate to a temperature of the test substrate.